Greco-Italian War

The Greco-Italian War was a five-month war fought between fascist Italy and Greece during World War II. The war lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941, and the first half of the conflict saw the Greek Army maul the Royal Italian Army and invade Albania, Italy's main base in the Balkans. The second half would see Nazi Germany send troops to aid Italy as Hitler brought World War II into the Balkans, and the war ended when the Germans entered Athens.

The war was caused by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's nationalist ideology, as Mussolini wanted to recreate the Roman Empire. Mussolini accused Greece of helping the United Kingdom during World War II, and he decided to plan an invasion of Greece late in 1940, against the advice of his generals. Mussolini made another mistake by refusing Hitler's offer of German assistance, and two Italian armies invaded Greece from Albania. The Italians were driven back across the border by the Greeks, who advanced deep into Albania and nearly overran the region. Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent five RAF squadrons to assist the Greeks, although the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas refused to allow British troops in the country, as he wanted to steer Greece away from war with Nazi Germany. However, the Germans would invade Greece after conquering Yugoslavia in March 1941, as Metaxas' successors allowed for British troops to be stationed in the country. On 23 April 1941, the Greco-Italian War ended with the Axis occupation of the Balkans, and Italian troops would remain in the Balkans for over two more years.